That's Bananas! And Other Foods That Need a PR Push

Portable, delicious, and nutritious, bananas are one of nature's most perfect foods.

But for all their benefits, bananas haven't ever done a good job of getting sexy. Sure, they're used for a condom demonstration here and there, but I mean in the "it" food kind of way, like avocados or cherries. They're just bananas -- everyone has a bunch.

But Chiquita is giving their bananas a bit of a face lift and hoping to give the fruit a little boost. Out with the sticker of the woman carrying fruit on her head, and in with 18 new, customer-designed versions, which were chosen through a contest. They include things like bananas inside a ribcage and bananas jumping on a trampoline -- cute, fun, and quirky.

And the creative marketing doesn't stop there. At EatAChiquita.com, you can play banana games, watch banana movies, and even buy banana clothing and shoes ... which maybe is going a bit far.

While it's a bit sad that fresh produce should have to resort to such tactics to compete with prepacked foods and fast food meals with such gimmicks, if that's what they have to do, then they better do it.

There are plenty of other great, under-appreciated foods out there that could also use a good PR boost as well. For example:

Mangoes When was the last time you saw an advertisement for a mango? It's such a beautiful, delicious fruit, too. If only a gift came with its purchase.

Turnips So not the most photogenic of vegetables, but that's nothing a little airbrushing couldn't fix. Hearty and healthy, they have a long history that could be revitalized.

Potatoes Long shunned by carb-fearing people everywhere, the spuds could use some love.

Rhubarb The tart, versatile stocks can be used in everything from cakes to pies to wine. Rhubarb wine could be the next big thing with the right marketing.

Brussels Sprouts They have received such a bad name over the years, but they're one of the cutest little vegetables. Surely they could be turned into some sort of animated cartoon characters that would up their likability exponentially.

Which underrated foods do you think could use a PR boost? Do campaigns like Chiquita's influence your buying decisions?